HHS coach Stanley leaving for assistant job at Albany

Hendersonville volleyball coach Brooke Stanley is leaving to take an assistant job at her old college, the University of Albany in New York.

By DEAN HENSLEYTimes-News Staff Writer

Hendersonville volleyball coach Brooke Stanley, who guided the Lady Bearcats to the 1-A state title this season, is leaving to take an assistant job at her old college, the University of Albany in New York.She told her current players the news last week.“It went pretty well, but of course, it was pretty sad,” Stanley, who graduated from Albany in 2011, said. “I believe my students are having a harder time with it than my players are. You get to know your students so well, and it's just hard to say goodbye.”Following graduation, Stanley was offered the job at Hendersonville and led the Lady Bearcats to the 1-A title. They finished the year with a 21-6 record after defeating Raleigh Charter in the finals.During her career at Albany, Stanley earned conference player of the year honors as well as All-American honors. Several times during her career, she was named the league's setter of the week.She is a 2007 graduate of West Henderson, where she was coached by her mom, Jan Stanley. Brooke Stanley led the Lady Falcons to the state title in 2003, earning MVP honors in the state finals match against Cardinal Gibbons.She had been in Albany five years before returning home to Henderson County in 2012 to coach at Hendersonville.“It is tough to be away so long and then come back home and get comfortable again, only to leave once again. But I'm very excited about my opportunity,” Brooke Stanley said.Around Christmas, Albany called her saying the assistant position would be open by July. The assistant coach ended up leaving earlier than they expected.“They called me two weeks ago and told me that the assistant had already left and that they wanted me there as soon as I could get there,” Stanley said. “I leave Saturday, and I'll be starting on Monday.”Her first task will be mainly recruiting and getting things all lined up for Albany's tournaments throughout the season.“Our first tournament of the year will be in Los Angeles, so I'll be working on that first. I'll get to come back to North Carolina in the second week of September when we play at UNC,” she said.She said her mom and her sister, West Henderson coach Tiffany Lowrance, were supportive in her decision.“They are both really excited for me and want me to succeed at this. It is hard leaving them, because we all were really close with us playing against each other. It is hard to leave, but this is what I've always dreamed of doing,” she said.